2 posts categorized "Devices"

February 19, 2009

People with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder have a new treatment option available: The Food and Drug Administration has approved deep brain stimulation as a therapy for the disorder.

With deep brain stimulation, electrodes permanently implanted in a person’s brain emit electrical signals that alter the functioning of the brain’s complex circuitry.

Scientists aren’t yet sure how the intervention works. In some cases, it may activate brain circuits that are sluggish; in other cases, it may inhibit circuits that are overactive.

With OCD, it’s believed that hyperactive circuits contribute to heightened anxiety and, often, depression. People with the disorder indulge in repetitive behaviors, such as washing their hands incessantly or repeatedly making sure a door is shut, as a way of controlling anxiety.

The FDA granted what’s known as a “humanitarian device exemption” to Medtronic Inc. for its Reclaim deep brain stimulation system as a therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The designation allows Medtronic to market the device on a limited basis to fewer than 4,000 patients.

July 14, 2008

The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors and patients that electronic devices such as pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators and insulin pumps can malfunction when people get computed tomography (CT) scans.

The popular scans can cause medical devices to shock patients or start sending inaccurate signals, the FDA said in a public health alert issued Monday afternoon.

The agency has received six confirmed reports of devices that malfunctioned after a CT scan and another nine reports of suspected problems, FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said. No deaths occurred.

About this blog

Getting the medical care you need isn't easy. Resources can be hard to find. Weighing the costs and benefits of proposed interventions can be difficult. Choosing a doctor or a hospital, negotiating with your insurer, staying on top of treatment trends, getting the best care possible -- all these can be nerve-wracking. This blog will bring you useful information, connect you with important resources and highlight the stories of other people like you.